Adverbs

Adverbs

An adverb is a word that describes or limits a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

Speak loudly.
I love a beautifully decorated room.
Ginny ran the marathon incredibly quickly.

Adverbial Phrases and Clauses

A phrase or clause can also function as an adverb. Adverbial phrases often begin with a preposition, a gerund, or an infinitive.

The baby cried throughout the concert.
Working all night, he finished the report.
I want to know.

Spelling of Adverbs

Many adverbs are formed by adding ly to a noun or an adjective. However, some common adverbs—such as here, there, now, too, and very—do not have the ly ending.

Some adverbs with the ly ending are also commonly used without it. Examples include closely and close; cheaply and cheap; slowly and slow; and tightly and tight. In formal writing, use the ly form except in idioms in which the other form is well established. For instance, “easily does it” is grammatically correct but sounds pedantic; the idiom “easy does it,” therefore, is usually the better choice.

Placement of Adverbs

Place an adverb as close as possible to the word it modifies. Often it is best positioned between an auxiliary and a primary verb.

Awkward: Daphnia never has been to Philadelphia.
Better: Daphnia has never been to Philadelphia.

Careful placement of an adverb is particularly important when it could logically modify more than one word or word group in a sentence. In the following example, changing the position of only completely alters the sentence’s meaning.

Only he sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
He sang only “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Redundant Adverbs

Do not use an adverb if its meaning is already communicated by the verb it modifies.

Incorrect: If we cooperate together, we will again repeat our success.
Correct: If we cooperate, we will repeat our success.